The use of Nicotine Fading and Self-Monitoring to Reduce Cigarette Smoking: A Non-Aversive

Several treatment approaches to cigarette smoking were investigated, including a nicotine fading proce4tre in which,subjects changed their cigarette brand each week to one containing Progressively less nicotine and tar; a self-monitoring procedure in which subjects plotted their daily intake of nicotine and tar; a combined nicotine fading/self-monitoring procedure; and a 'slightly,modified American Cancer Society Stop Smoking Program. Smokers (N=40) were assigned to one of the treatment programs. 'Results at the six-sonth'follow-up showed that the nicotine fading/self-monitoring treatment was the superior procedure on all dependent measures: abstinence rate (5ON), daily nicotine intake (69 % reduction from baseline), daily tar intake (71 % reducation from baseline). While the combined treatment program produced success rates in the range of those obtained by the aversive rapid smoking procedure (tfie most. successful procedure to date), the nonaversive combined program did not share some of the inherent limitations of the aversive procedure. Results suggest that the nicotine fading/self-monitoring approach may be a more reasonable treatment for persons with heart disease, emphysema and, asthma, and may hold promise for the pore general cigarette smoking population as well. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that cat be made from the original document